Batting

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - It's one thing to talk about getting
clutch hits, quite another to go out and actually deliver them. The
Marlins did both Saturday in a satisfying doubleheader sweep of
gritty Roanoke during the fourth annual Strike Out Cancer Day.

Season Dailey's seventh inning shot into the right-center gap
drove in the winning run for a 2-1 victory in the opener. A couple
hours later, it was Brianna Bertotich's turn, as her two-out,
seventh-inning liner over the second baseman's head cemented
another 2-1 victory in the nightcap.

"I just followed (Season's) lead," Bertovich said. "She got the
big hit in the first game, and I just said, 'You know, I'm going to
do that, too.' "

But the biggest winner of the day came in the fight against
cancer. The event, held annually in honor of the late Elaine Sears,
mother of Marlins softball coach Brandon Elliott, raised
approximately $8,500 for cancer research, nearly $2,000 more than
the previous high.

"This just hits home for so many people," Dailey said. "She's
always in our heart."

In the opener, Dailey (Norfolk, Va./Cox) got
into position to be the heroine after Kristina Karagiorgis led off
the seventh with a soft line single to right, Bertovich
(Richmond, Va./Monacan) sacrificed her to second and
Karagiiorgis reached third on a passed ball.

"It was just looking for something on the outside corner, and
looking for a gap shot," Dailey said. "We really needed that
hit."

Elliott agreed.

"We worked all week on shortening up, stepping up and coming
through in clutch situations," the coach said. "The kids bought
in."

Bertovich was particularly pleased to come through in the
nightcap as her game-winning hit came one inning after a
frustrating at-bat in the sixth. With the Marlins trailing 1-0,
Jaclyn Quinn (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) ed off the
inning by drilling a triple into the rightfield corner. Karagiorgis
then reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, putting
runners at second and third. But Bertovich hit a one-hopper to the
pitcher, who was able to trap Quinn off third and retire her in a
rundown.

Dailey followed with a walk and Heather Bishop
(Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) bounced a bases-loaded
RBI single past the second baseman to plate the tying run. Still,
Bertovich said she was eager for another chance to come
through.

One inning later, she got that chance.

"I didn't come through in the sixth, so I knew I had to get it
done in the seventh," she said.

The doubleheader sweep gave the Marlins three straight victories
and wins in four of their last five games, and Elliott hopes it
provides some positive momentum heading into Tuesday's home
doubleheader against tough Christopher Newport.

"That's a big-time team we beat over there, and these were two
really well-played games," Elliott said. "So this is something we
can build on, especially with Christopher Newport coming in
here."